


The Star of Eldia

by EmpressCactuar



Series: Reibert Week 2021 [5]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cruise Ships, Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Reibert Week 2021
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:55:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29900055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressCactuar/pseuds/EmpressCactuar
Summary: "No, not silly. You just sound like a romantic. It would be nice, being swept up by a handsome stranger and falling in love. Like a movie, almost..." Bertholdt watched the sun start to dip below the horizon. The soft pinks and purples in the sky were beautiful, and some stars were starting to twinkle. He had to admit, it was pleasant.(Day six of Reibert Week 2021! Prompt is outdoor activities)
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Series: Reibert Week 2021 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190438
Kudos: 16





	The Star of Eldia

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the only multi-part thing I'm doing for RB week, I'm posting it today but the prompt and smut will both be done next time. I wanted to go ahead and get this posted. ^^ Three chapters, the outdoors activities stuff will more be next chapter ^^;

Soft sands, warm beaches, beautiful sunsets, and a top-of-the-line luxury cruise that his father had very generously paid for... what more was there to ask for? 

Bertholdt felt a tremendous amount of guilt for wishing that he was back home. His father had so badly wanted to spend some time with him, and Bertholdt had wanted to spend time with his father. For some reason that he hadn't ever been sure of, old people seemed to really love cruises. And his father was getting older, so it made sense that his father wanted to go on a cruise. But now they far, far away from home and away from the cold weather. 

There was always plenty of time for fun in the sun during the summer months. Call him a homebody, but Bertholdt was a winter person. He loved watching the snow fall, sitting by the fireplace with a nice book and listening to the wood crackle while it burned... and of course he would be curled up with a warm cup of hot cocoa and a blanket. It was absolute bliss. 

The sun was setting now, and Bertholdt wasn't sure what he wanted to do exactly. There was an overwhelming amount of things he could be doing; maybe that was why he wasn't sure? He could go to the spa and get a massage, he could go see the band that was performing tonight, he could lounge by the pool, he could go join his father for a game of bingo... 

In the end, the bar seemed to be what drew Bertholdt's attention. It wasn't particularly late, so Bertholdt had no trouble getting a seat. When the night fell and the children were tucked comfortably in their beds, the parents would start roaming and the bar would get busier. As soon as he sat in the comfortable stool, Bertholdt sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

He was having so much fun with his dad! Why did he miss the snow? While Bertholdt thought of childhood memories building snowmen with his father, a young man approached him and gave a warm smile. 

"Good evening, I hope you've been having a good time so far on the Star of Eldia cruise ship. Can I get you anything?" Bertholdt laughed to himself and gave the bartender a smile. He was handsome, Bertholdt had to admit. 

"Yes, please. Could you make me a cherry bomb?" The bartender smiled and nodded, then got to work with making the drink. He had clearly been doing this for some time, the way his hands moved expertly to grab the rum and lime soda. He squeezed some lime slices into the mix, then shook the mixer and garnished the cup. Before he knew it, a cherry bomb sat in front of him. Bertholdt closed his eyes and took a sip. "Could you just open a tab for me?" 

"Of course. Just let me know what you want and I'll get that ready for you." Bertholdt watched the young man walk down to the older woman that had called for him. The young man had a nice ass, too, if Bertholdt were being honest. But he didn't want to be a creeper, just oogling a stranger. He went back to sipping at his cherry bomb and wondering how much money his dad was going to win -or lose- at bingo tonight. 

"Sir, could I get another drink?" The man seemed to be running back and forth quite a bit, and Bertholdt almost felt bad. But then Bertholdt saw the man accept a twenty as a tip, and felt slightly better. "Can I have a margarita?"

"Absolutely. Hang on just a moment." The man frowned in focus while he prepared the margarita. He salted the rim of the glass, then prepared the lime and tequila. "You seem to like drinks with lime in them. I can't say I blame you. I put a little bit of extra lime juice in whenever I make Moscow mules for myself." He finished up the drink and passed it along to Bertholdt. Bertholdt took a sip and sighed happily at the flavor. 

"I love Moscow mule mugs. My father got me a copper mug to drink them in for Christmas." The bartender chuckled and nodded his head, then leaned over and focused on his customer. 

"Yeah? I love Moscow mules. I like mojitos, too. Call me a basic white girl, but I love a good cosmopolitan, hehe." The man reached below the bar and grabbed some grenadine and ginger ale. He mixed the two together, then took a sip from his own cup. "I can't drink on the job, though." 

"So you make yourself Shirley Temples instead?" Bertholdt's tone was teasing, but the man gave him a confident smile. He started to open his mouth to say something, but an angry-looking woman started snapping her fingers a couple of seats down from them. Bertholdt glanced to the side in irritation while the bartender straightened up and walked over to her. 

"Unbelievable! You'd rather shower attention on some kid than serve your other patrons?" Bertholdt sighed and ran his hand through his hair while he drank his margarita. In his pocket, he felt his phone vibrating. He pulled it out and saw a selfie his father had taken from the bingo hall. From the looks of it, he had done exceptionally well at bingo tonight. Tomorrow they were going to the casino together, so it was nice to see that his father hadn't lost too much money... yet. 

He needed to head to his room. Bertholdt paid his tab, then handed the bartender a fifty for a tip. The bartender's eyes went wide, but Bertholdt only insisted he deserved it before he left to join his father back in their room. 

  


His father had run off from their room early to enjoy some early-morning mimosas and gambling with some man he'd met the night before. Bertholdt wasn't too bothered by that; instead, he went to enjoy a nice breakfast. The cruise ship had so many dining options, and Bertholdt decided he was going to treat himself with a traditional English breakfast... with a mimosa to enjoy alongside it. The bartender, a cheerful red-headed woman, had prepared it while the server brought him his food. 

It wasn't particularly busy; this restaurant was more expensive than some of the other options onboard the vessel. Families would be eating together in a cheaper option to fit the budgets of families with hungry kids. Bertholdt was lucky in that regard; his father was a very successful author whose name people knew. But not his face, and for that Bertholdt was thankful. Rich, but anonymous. The best way to live. 

The sight of a handsome blonde man coming in and heading to the bar drew Bertholdt's attention. Oh, it was the bartender from last night. He seemed to be talking to the red-headed woman, but then accepted a drink and turned around. Bertholdt glanced up from his plate, then gave a slight smile when their eyes met. Bertholdt swallowed his bite of food and felt his cheeks start to heat up when the man approached him. 

"Hey, you're the man I was talking to last night. Mind if I join you for breakfast?" Bertholdt nodded and met the man's eyes again. 

"Yes." The meaning of what he had just said occurred to him, then Bertholdt shook his head in denial. "I-I mean no! Sorry. Yes, you can join me." The man laughed to himself and took a seat, then took a sip of his drink. Which also looked like a mimosa. He cocked a brow at the drink by Bertholdt's plate of breakfast and smiled. 

"I saw you and I have similar taste in drinks." He took another drink of his mimosa, then got comfortable. "My name is Reiner. I didn't get the chance to tell you last night at the bar. I enjoyed talking to you." 

Bertholdt picked at his waffle idly. He hummed an amused tone, then looked back at Reiner. "My name's Bertholdt. I feel like I didn't even talk to you that much, though." Bertholdt caught sight of a server bringing Reiner a simple meal. He must have told the bartender what he'd wanted, and she'd put the order in for him. Oh well, no matter. "I'm surprised you remembered me, I guess. I've never had a very strong presence, I guess you could say." 

"Really? I didn't think that at all last night. You seemed chill and you didn't cause any problems at my bar. I appreciated that." Reiner gave Bertholdt a confident smile, then flashed a toothy grin. "Say, do you gamble? If you do, stop by the Star of Eldia casino tonight. I'm working the bar there tonight. I'll comp you a drink." 

"You're working the casino? I bet you'll be getting lots of tips, then?" Bertholdt asked, but Reiner only scoffed and rolled his eyes at that. He reached for his fork and took a bite of his scrambled eggs. "Eh? Not many tips at the casino?" 

"At the start of the night I'll be getting plenty. But then when everyone starts losing money, they're going to stop tipping. They're upset and broke, then they'll leave. Maybe if I get lucky, someone will win a jackpot and buy a round for everyone and leave me a fat tip." Reiner swirled his drink nonchalantly, then closed his eyes and smiled. "Last time that happened I got enough money to finish paying for the classes I took in mixology and bartending." 

"That sounds fun. I didn't know that you took classes, I guess? I didn't really think about how bartenders got so knowledgeable about drinks. It makes sense, though." Bertholdt finished his toast and looked at the man in front of him. He was young, maybe late-20s? Probably around the same age as him. Blonde hair that was messier than it was last night. Instead of the black apron and red tie he wore with a white button-up at the bar, Reiner was instead wearing a t-shirt with the cruise company's logo on it. Probably given to him by the company for free. 

"Ahaha, it was fun, yes. I don't know what exactly drew me to wanting to my line of work. When I was in high school I was always really into math. I thought I wanted to be an engineer. That's what I kept telling myself." Reiner shrugged his shoulders and finished his mimosa. "I dropped out of college after my first year. I was absolutely miserable." 

"Oh... I was miserable in college too. But I didn't want to disappoint my dad, he was always telling me how proud of me he was." Bertholdt hummed and stared down at his drink. "I don't even use my degree now. I do freelance work. Photography." Reiner's brows rose, and he nodded. 

"That sounds nice... photography, I mean. Is that why you're on the cruise? To take pictures of the ocean and the towns we'll be docking at?" Reiner seemed interested, then smiled a dreamy smile. "You know, we'll be docking at a town called Trost. There's a huge wall around the perimeter of the city because it defended them from hostile outsiders centuries ago. If you go on the wall at sunset, the view is gorgeous. You could get some amazing pictures up there." 

"No, I'm just here with my father. He wanted to come on this cruise. I'm a bit of a homebody, but he really wanted to spend time with me. I kinda miss the snow, if you want me to be honest..." Reiner's eyes seemed to light up, and a happy, if not dopey, smile spread across his face. "It sounds like you know Trost well. Are you from there?" 

"Eh? No. I'm not from Trost. But I've been there so many times, I know a few things about the place. I usually have to work, though, so I haven't personally done many of the touristy things. I've read a lot about the place when I'm bored and people leave brochures behind at my bar. I can tell you about the other cities, too. Shinganshina is nice." 

"That almost sounds sad. You don't get to enjoy all the things that we get to enjoy..." 

"Oh! No, it's fine. I've gone on a couple of cruises with my family, I can have fun when I'm not working. Usually we go on a different cruise than this one, though. We like going up north. I love seeing the icebergs. Someday I'd like to go to the far north and see the auroras. I'm pretty far away, always working where it's warm and sunny. I probably sound like a weirdo, heh." 

The two of them chattered idly until Reiner glanced down and looked at his watch. Hurriedly, he excused himself and told Bertholdt he needed to get a nap in before it was time for him to get ready for work. Before he left, though, Reiner made sure to give Bertholdt a wink and an invitation to see him at the casino later. 

  


Bertholdt didn't have the luck that his father did at the slots. After he'd lost one hundred he'd decided to call it quits, but his father had gotten lucky and won over a thousand! Bertholdt had excused himself, but then got demolished at the blackjack table as well. He'd rolled his eyes and left the table when he remembered Reiner's invitation to join him at the bar. 

Reiner looked somewhat bored while he cleaned empty bar glasses. He glanced to the side and saw Bertholdt approaching, then gave him a small wave. He reached below the bar and pulled up a lime, then gave Bertholdt a cheeky grin. "Hello, Bertholdt. I'm glad you came, I wasn't sure if you were going to! I didn't see you the past few hours I've been here." 

"Ah, well, you know the bar was insanely busy earlier. I didn't want to fight a crowd. I went and gambled with my dad, but I lost a lot of money. So instead, I just decided to come see you." Reiner playfully squeezed the lime juice into an empty mixer. "Getting my drink ready for me already?" 

"Everything you ordered before had lime juice in it, I just wanted to be prepared. What do you want, Bertholdt? My treat. Just for you." 

"What if I told you I want a white Russian?" Reiner cocked a brow at Bertholdt, then gave him a snarky smile. "You know, you went ahead and assumed what I wanted and all..." 

"If you told me that you wanted a white Russian, I would call you a liar if I had to judge by what all you ordered last night. I would say if you're in a place like this you'd want something a bit different." Reiner rolled his shoulders and stretched out his arms. "I would say you'd want... something like a cosmopolitan or a tequila sunrise." 

"Am I that easy to read? A tequila sunrise sounds great right now..." Reiner quickly went to work making the drink, then slid it across the bar to Bertholdt. "Thank you, Reiner. Mmm, it tastes really good..." 

"I put a little bit of extra orange juice in it for you. And I got rid of the lime, I wasn't going to put that in a tequila sunrise. I don't experiment on guests after all. Only myself." Reiner glanced down at his watch and then looked back at Bertholdt. "It's funny that you come and visit me now, so close to the end of my shift. I'm getting ready to get off work." Reiner glanced at the floor, and if he weren't mistaken Bertholdt almost thought it looked like a pink dusting was on Reiner's face. "You know, I'm not doing anything tonight... if you've lost money here, you and I might be able to go and do something? Unless you want to go with your dad. I'm sorry if I'm being presumptuous." 

"N-no! Not at all..." Bertholdt swallowed and nodded. Truth be told, his father seemed to have taken all of the Hoover family's luck this trip. He won at bingo, he was winning at the slots and craps. But Bertholdt? Losing one hundred dollars to a slot machine was enough for him. "What did you have in mind?" 

"Not much. We'll be docking at Trost tomorrow morning, so I'll be sleeping in. Everyone will be spending their money in town and it'll be a slow night for me. So I just want to unwind a little bit." After a moment, another bartender arrive Reiner smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Sasha. Thanks for covering the last couple of hours for me." 

"No problem! Thanks for covering for me so Niccolo and I could spend some time together last time!" Bertholdt had no idea of the details of whatever arrangement Reiner and his coworker had. But Reiner eagerly took off his apron as soon as he was out from behind the counter, then glanced up at Bertholdt. "If you want to join me, come see me on the front dock. I just want to lounge in a chair and relax. Long day, you know?" 

"That sounds nice." Lounging and not doing much sounded right up his alley, if Bertholdt were being honest. So Bertholdt returned to his room and grabbed some money to buy drinks with, then made his way to the docks. He ordered himself two margaritas and made his way to where Reiner had said to meet him. No sooner than he'd started looking around, Bertholdt saw Reiner stretched out on a chair. "Hey, Reiner. I got you a margarita." Reiner glanced to the side and sat up, his eyes wide and his expression surprised. Bertholdt cocked his head. "Do you not want it? You'd said you liked lime in your drinks too." 

"N-no, that isn't it. I'm just... touched. Nobody has ever just bought me a drink before." Reiner accepted the margarita and took a sip, then leaned back into his chair. Bertholdt sat in the chair next to Reiner and watched the ocean. The sun was hanging in the sky, low on the horizon. Soon the stars would be glittering overhead. But for now, the sunset was gorgeous. "Bertholdt, I need to be honest with you." 

"Hmm? What is it?" Reiner was silent for a minute, then looked at Bertholdt. 

"I wanted to sit with you because I think you're handsome. And cute. And, uh... well, I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out a little bit more while we're on this cruise? I'm sorry, I never even asked if you were into men or anything like that. Or if you're even single." Reiner's eyes were closed, but Bertholdt felt his face igniting at every word that came from Reiner's mouth. Surely his face must be scarlet red. 

"You want to go on a date with me?" Bertholdt repeated slowly. Reiner's mouth set into a hard line, and Bertholdt knew that was exactly what Reiner had meant. "That would be nice, Reiner. Did you want to go out tomorrow in Trost?" 

"Really? You want to?" Bertholdt found Reiner's excited response cute. Reiner took another drink of his margarita, then sighed like a teenager whose crush said they could go to prom together. "Sorry, it's just been a while. I don't usually talk to people on cruises. But I just felt drawn to you. It's hard to explain." 

"You're very handsome, if you want me to tell the truth. I guess I'm surprised you're single. You're funny, kind and easy to talk to. I can't imagine that someone like you would be available." Reiner hummed and idly twirled the stem of his margarita glass between his fingers. 

"It's hard for me. Working on a cruise means that I'm away from home a lot. I want to settle down but for right now I just keep working." Reiner laughed and looked at Bertholdt through half-lidded eyes. "Years ago when I got my first job on a cruise ship, I liked to imagine being swept up by a handsome foreign man in a faraway land. I probably sound silly." 

"No, not silly. You just sound like a romantic. It would be nice, being swept up by a handsome stranger and falling in love. Like a movie, almost..." Bertholdt watched the sun start to dip below the horizon. The soft pinks and purples in the sky were beautiful, and some stars were starting to twinkle. He had to admit, it was pleasant. The air was warm and the margarita was delicious. Reiner was wearing shorts and another t-shirt that had the cruise ship's name on it. "I don't know where you're from, though. Am I foreign enough?" 

Reiner laughed and cocked a brow at Bertholdt. "I don't know, are you? I'm from Marley. Liberio, actually. My family lived on the south side, close to the docks. I've been around the water my whole life." 

"Liberio? Really? I'm from Liberio!" Bertholdt adjusted and looked at Reiner. "But I'm not from the south side. I grew up on the north end." Reiner sighed contentedly whenever a warm breeze passed between the two of them. The sun was down now, and the many lights aboard the cruise ship were coming on. It really was like a small city floating on the water. "I guess I'm not foreign at all, then." 

"No wonder I didn't notice you having any accent. If we're from the same city. What are the odds?" Reiner stood and looked down at his dwindling margarita. "I'll be back. Just going to get myself another." Reiner returned with two drinks and gave one to Bertholdt. "Just an old fashioned. Hope you don't mind." Bertholdt accepted the drink and put it down by his margarita. 

"My dad moved north to be closer to the ski resorts. I go visit him pretty often, but I still live in Liberio. I usually visit in the winter because I love snow. You know it doesn't snow much in Liberio." 

"The cold never bothered me. I would love to work at a ski resort. It's something I've been thinking about. I want to go live in the north. That must sound odd coming from me, working on beaches and on a cruise line." 

"You need to stop calling yourself weird, Reiner. I think it's cute." Bertholdt said. Reiner laughed and nodded. 

"Maybe I'm just used to my baby cousin calling me weird all the time. Oh well." Reiner adjusted so he could lie down on the chair and stretched his legs out. Bertholdt did the same on his own chair, then put his hands behind his back. "You know, Bertholdt? I've enjoyed talking to you. I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Reiner turned to the side and gave Bertholdt a flirtatious grin. "I don't put out on the first date, so don't try anything." 

"W-what?!" Bertholdt asked incredulously. Reiner laughed and reached a hand out to rest on Bertholdt's shoulder. 

"Ahaha! I just wanted to mess with you a little bit." Reiner closed his eyes and turned to look at the stars. "Lots of people, especially drunks, always want to just fuck. Maybe it comes with the territory of being a bartender on a cruise ship. But I've just wanted someone to talk to. Thanks, Bertholdt." 

"Oh, don't thank me. I've enjoyed talking to you too, Reiner." Bertholdt opened his eyes and stared at the sky. The stars were dimmer now that the lights on the ship were all on. But tomorrow he would be roaming around Trost with a handsome stranger. Maybe he wasn't back home, but he was content. 


End file.
